Editing Katherine Steiner-Davion

{{Update Needed|[[Era Report: 3062]], [[Masters and Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers]], [[The Wars of Reaving]], [[The Longest Road]], [[A Bonfire of Worlds]]}}
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{{Otheruses|[[Archon]] of the Lyran Alliance from 3057 to 3067|other uses|Katrina Steiner (disambiguation)}}
{{InfoBoxCharacter
| image               = Katherine Steiner-Davion ER3062.jpg
| caption             = 
| name                = Katherine Morgan Steiner-Davion
| birthdate           = 16 November [[3032]]<ref name=FCCWp12>''FedCom Civil War'', p. 12</ref>
| died                = 31 August [[3143]]<ref name=ER:3145p23>''Era Report: 3145'', p. 23</ref>
| othernames          = "Katrina Steiner"
| affiliation         = [[House Steiner-Davion]],<br>[[Clan Wolf]]
| profession          = Politician,<br>[[MechWarrior (pilot)|MechWarrior]]
| parents             = [[Hanse Davion]] (father)<br>[[Melissa Steiner]] (mother)
| siblings            = [[Victor Steiner-Davion|Victor]]<br>[[Peter Ardan Steiner-Davion|Peter]]<br>[[Arthur Steiner-Davion|Arthur]]<br>[[Yvonne Steiner-Davion|Yvonne]]
| spouse              = 
| children            = [[Alaric Wolf]]
}}

'''Katherine Morgan Steiner-Davion''', also known as '''Katrina Steiner''' and later known as '''Katherine Wolf''', was the second child of [[Hanse Davion]] and [[Melissa Steiner (31st c.)|Melissa Steiner]]. She ruled the [[Lyran Alliance]] from [[3057]] to [[3067]] and the [[Federated Commonwealth]] from [[3060]] to [[3067]]. She was named after [[Katherine Steiner]], who brought the Steiner family to power in the [[Lyran Commonwealth]] and [[Morgan Hasek-Davion]], who became the Armed Forces of the Federated Commonwealth's [[Marshal of the Armies]].

==History==
=== Early life ===
Like all of the Steiner-Davions except for [[Victor Steiner-Davion|Victor]], Katherine was raised on both [[Tharkad]] and [[New Avalon]]. She attended the [[New Avalon Institute of Science]] and seemed set to take her place as regent of the [[Federated Suns]] on [[New Avalon]] when Victor's court was on Tharkad. Her father died in [[3052]] and her mother privately offered to step down so that Victor could become Archon-Prince, but he refused and Melissa Steiner ruled both halves of the nascent [[Federated Commonwealth]].

=== Seizing power ===
Katherine made a series of long-term moves to ensure that she would be more than her older brother's regent half of the time. She became an ally of [[Ryan Steiner]] and [[Galen Cox]]'s lover. She then contracted an assassin to kill her mother, which he did by means of a bomb in [[3055]]. Katherine subtly implicated Victor and ascribed to him the motivation that he wished to become Archon-Prince. This did not play well with the few who knew the truth about Melissa's offer to abdicate, such as [[Morgan Kell]], but much of the general public bought into it. She was also able to manipulate her brother [[Peter Steiner-Davion|Peter]] into a self-imposed exile on [[Zaniah]], though she did not know to where he had disappeared.

Katherine's next step came with the [[Skye Rebellion]] led by Ryan Steiner. Victor had Ryan assassinated, but the deeply unpopular move forced him to leave the Lyran half of the nation in the hands of Katherine, while he permanently moved his court to New Avalon. This move was especially ironic considering that Victor was raised on [[Tharkad]] and highlighted his lack of political acumen. Simultaneously, Katherine began to publicly play up her Lyran heritage and downplay her Davion half, often leaving the "Davion" off of her surname. She also took upon herself her maternal grandmother's name of "Katrina", hoping to remind people of the popular leader. This also had the effect of creating much confusion over which Katrina Steiner was being discussed. This became a quick way to tell supporters of her and her brother Victor apart. The former would call her Katrina, the latter would call her Katherine.

=== Lyran Alliance ===
[[Image:KSD-MC2.JPG|thumb|right|420px|Archon "Katrina" Steiner-Davion in [[3063]] (screenshot from the [[Canon|apocryphal]] computer game ''[[MechCommander 2]]'')]]

In [[3057]], [[Joshua Marik]], who was undergoing treatment for leukemia at the [[New Avalon Institute of Science]], died. [[Victor Steiner-Davion|Archon-Prince Victor]] instituted [[Operation GEMINI]], a plot originally hatched by his father to replace Joshua with a body double. Victor never planned on using the double as a ploy to institute a pawn into the succession of the [[Free Worlds League]], he simply wanted to be sure that the needed refit packages would continue to flow into the [[Federated Commonwealth]]. An agent from the [[Capellan Confederation]] discovered the ruse and Chancellor [[Sun-Tzu Liao]] soon brought the news to Captain-General [[Thomas Marik (False)|Thomas Marik]]. Together, the two launched an [[Operation GUERRERO|punitive invasion]] aimed at regaining all territory they had lost during the [[Fourth Succession War]].

Katherine took advantage of the news to great effect. Citing her brother's duplicity and facing an invasion, she invoked Emergency War Powers and seceded the Lyran half of the Federated Commonwealth, naming it the [[Lyran Alliance]] because she claimed that Victor had tainted "Commonwealth." She simultaneously recalled all traditionally Lyran military units to withdraw to the nation's pre–Fourth War boundaries, in essence ceding the worlds that Marik wanted to him. With the completion of his goal, Marik stopped his invasion. Unfortunately, things were not well in the [[Sarna March]]. Since the Fourth War, [[Melissa Steiner (31st c.)|Melissa Steiner]] insisted that Lyran units garrison the territory that was largely conquered from the Capellan Confederation since the March was, in fact, Hanse's wedding present to his wife. In the run-up to the invasion, Sun-Tzu had activated terrorist cells on the Sarna March worlds that resulted in a destabilization of planetary governments. This, coupled with the withdrawal of most defending units, compounded by Marik's decision to quit the war early, resulted in a no-man's-land in the center of the [[Inner Sphere]] that became known as the [[Chaos March]].

She was publicly angered by ComStar's replacement of their own forces with Draconian units in the Lyons region.<ref>''The Fall of Terra'', p. 7</ref>

Katherine faced a challenge to her rule almost immediately from [[Morgan Kell]], cofounder of the famed [[Kell Hounds]] and a close, personal friend of the late Archon Katrina Steiner. Soon after the formation of the Lyran Alliance, Kell all but seceded a group of worlds along the [[Clan Jade Falcon]] border and formed the [[Arc-Royal Defense Cordon]], in essence creating his own private fief, though he publicly stated that it was to ensure the security of the border. Katherine was incensed at his actions, but allowed the public to believe he had done it with her blessing.

She soon decided that she was in need of an ally against Clan Jade Falcon besides the Kells, who she knew did not support her. She decided to leave on a diplomatic mission in person. She left [[Nondi Steiner]] and [[Tormano Liao]] in control of her fledgling nation while she went off in search of an ally in secret. While she was attempting to make contact with another [[Clan]], forces from the reborn [[Clan Wolf]] captured the flotilla she was in. During this time she met with [[Khan of Clan Wolf|Wolf Khan]] [[Vlad Ward]] and the two found an instant attraction to each other. They were then able to conclude a mutual defense pact aimed against Clan Jade Falcon.

Both of these incidents proved fortuitous as the Falcons [[Jade Falcon Incursion (3058)|launched an invasion]] in [[3058]], while Katherine was off on her secret mission. She returned to [[Tharkad]] to find the Falcons poised to strike at her capital, an action that would have simultaneously decapitated the Alliance and broken the [[Truce of Tukayyid]], prompting a renewal of the [[Clan Invasion]] with the Falcons already having a head start. While the Falcons were embroiled in the fighting for [[Coventry]], she allowed Victor to strike at the Falcons there at the head of an international task force that had originally been headed to [[Tukayyid]] for war games. She hoped that Victor would die in the fighting, showing her strange desire for Victor to destroy himself without it being directly caused by her. She was surprised and enraged when he arranged for a peaceful settlement that allowed the Falcons to retreat with their honor intact, a move that was necessitated by an invasion of their occupation zone by Clan Wolf.

During her reign as Archon, Katherine reorganized the administrative divisions of the realm, allowed "[[Social General]]s" to make something of a comeback (thanks in part to her willingness to promote individuals based on political orthodoxy as opposed to military competence), cashiered many officers who opposed her ascension, and clamped down on individuals who protested against her rule.

=== Star League ===
The cooperation that was fostered at Coventry led to a broader discussion concerning ways in which the [[Inner Sphere]] forces could strike back at the Clans. Katherine offered to allow a conference to be held on Tharkad that became known as the [[Whitting Conference]] after a city on Coventry. At the first Whitting Conference, the leaders of the Inner Sphere decided to [[Second Star League|resurrect the long dead Star League]] with a [[First Lord]] elected from their number every three years. Katherine attempted to gain the position of First Lord by nominating [[Sun-Tzu Liao]], whom she believed would be voted down, leaving her as the logical compromise candidate. What she did not expect was Victor's increased political acumen. Her plan backfired when he cast the deciding vote for Sun-Tzu.

=== Federated Commonwealth ===
Rather than become embittered over her loss of the first First Lordship, Katherine endeavored to deprive Victor of his vote. He took the unprecedented move of leaving his little sister [[Yvonne Steiner-Davion|Yvonne]] as regent of the [[Federated Commonwealth]] while he led [[Operation BULLDOG]], then went off to Clan space with [[Operation HUNTER]]. In his absence, Katherine was able to manipulate public opinion polls within the Commonwealth so that the people—and Yvonne herself—believed that a majority of citizens were of the opinion that Yvonne was doing a bad job. In [[3060]], Yvonne asked her big sister Katherine for help, which led to Yvonne abdicating her regency in favor of Katherine. The Privy Council confirmed Katherine's appointment, whereupon she began styling herself "First Princess," despite the fact the ruler of the [[Federated Suns]] had always been known as "Prince," regardless of gender. Additionally, due to her lack of military service in either the [[AFFC]] or the [[LAAF]], Katherine was unqualified to be First Prince and technically ruled the Federated Commonwealth as regent while acting as if she were actually the First Prince of the Federated Commonwealth.<ref name="FMFS">''Field Manual: Federated Suns''</ref>

One of her first actions as ruler was to dismiss [[Ardan Sortek]] as [[Prince's Champion]] and Director of the [[Crucis March]] Command and replace him with the malleable [[Simon Gallagher]]. This action was technically illegal, since only the Prince has the authority to determine the Champion, but the only action any members of the military leadership took was to resign in protest. In a series of moves that was similar to her actions in the [[Lyran Alliance]], officers who protested her usurpation of the throne resigned. The difference in the Commonwealth was that Katherine had not spent years eroding Victor's support, so she had to deal with a much stronger and more entrenched set of Victor supporters, including Duke [[George Hasek II|George Hasek]], though he declined to openly challenge her. Katherine then set up another deal with Sun-Tzu Liao. In exchange for keeping her troops out of his war to reclaim the [[St. Ives Compact]], Sun-Tzu supported Katherine in her bid to succeed him as First Lord.<ref name="FMFS" />

When Victor returned from Clan space, he found himself a leader without a nation. Having just come from some of the most brutal fighting in decades, Victor had no desire to subject the people he still saw as his to a civil war. Instead, he succeeded [[Anastasius Focht]] as [[ComStar]]'s [[Precentor Martial of ComStar|Precentor Martial]] in time to cast the deciding vote against Katherine at the [[3061]] Whitting Conference.<ref>''Prince of Havoc''</ref>

=== Civil War ===
Katherine had dealt with almost all of her siblings. Peter was in hiding, Yvonne was a wreck, and Victor had been deposed, but Katherine had yet to deal with [[Arthur Steiner-Davion|Arthur]]. Arthur was supported by [[James Sandoval]] and was agitating the people of the [[Draconis March]] to remain focused on the threat from the [[Draconis Combine]]. This served Katherine's purposes because it distracted that part of the nation from her efforts to consolidate her rule, but Arthur became increasingly extreme in his speeches. Katherine gave tacit approval for Arthur's assassination. Even though fights between pro-Katherine and pro-Victor units had already erupted on worlds like [[Kathil]] and [[Thorin]], the bombing of the building that Arthur was giving a speech from is considered the beginning of the [[FedCom Civil War]] because that action was what prompted Victor to issue a call to arms to any and all military personnel who opposed Katherine's rule.

She was closer yet to becoming First Lord at the [[Third Whitting Conference]] in [[3064]] on [[Marik]]. She had been nominated and there were no clear competitors when Victor, who had no political standing because he had all but resigned as Precentor Martial to lead the civil war, revealed that he had convincing evidence that Katherine had had their mother assassinated. Showing that he had again learned from her, he did not need to produce this evidence. The mere suggestion of truth was enough for her name to be withdrawn from candidacy and [[Christian Månsdottir]] was elected instead.<ref>''Storms of Fate''</ref>

Katherine generally allowed her military commanders free rein to prosecute the war against her brother's supporters as they saw fit, as she focused on rooting out insurrectionists and other supporters of her brother. Arrests, sessions of torture and executions became common events, especially on [[New Avalon]].<ref name=JTPNA5>''Jihad Turning Points: New Avalon'', p. 5: "New Avalon" (atlas)</ref> Her ace in the hole was contracting the same assassin she used to kill her [[Melissa Steiner (31st c.)|mother]] to murder Victor's lover, [[Omiko Kurita|Omi Kurita]]. Omi's death in [[3064]] stalled Victor's task force for a full year, but, by [[3067]] forces under the command of [[Tancred Sandoval]], [[Ardan Sortek]], and finally Victor Steiner-Davion had landed on [[New Avalon]]. Katherine's death knell was sounded with the resignation of Marshal of the Armies [[Jackson Davion]]. She appointed Simon Gallagher to the post, but soon offered her surrender through Jackson on 20 April [[3067]].<ref>''FedCom Civil War'', p. 171</ref> On 22 April 3067, General [[Archer Christifori]] came to her throne room with Jackson Davion on special orders from Victor Steiner-Davion personally to march the handcuffed Katherine Steiner-Davion off.<ref>''The Longest Road''</ref>

A special palatial prison was built to house Katherine on [[Arc-Royal]], but Katherine was handed over to Khan [[Vlad Ward]] of [[Clan Wolf]] under threat of attack with the expiration of the [[Truce of Tukayyid]].

=== Clan Wolf ===
Katherine's presence within Clan Wolf and the apparent favoritism shown to her by Vlad Ward caused significant internal tension within the Clan, and resulted in Vlad Ward having to face several Trials over his conduct.<ref name="J:FRp114">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 114: "Clan Wolf"</ref> Ironically, in order for Katherine to come to power in the [[Clans]], she had to shed her image as a peacemaker and become a warrior. Though she learned to pilot a 'Mech there, she was never as skilled as she was in politics.[http://www.wizkidsgames.com/mechwarrior/figuregallery.asp?unitid=11899]. She won her [[Trial of Position]] in a Warhawk by executing an [[Alpha strike (Tactic)|Alpha Strike]] on an unsuspecting opponent, [[MechWarrior (pilot)|MechWarrior]] [[Mallory]] in his [[Victor|Victor C]].  Katherine first engaged her smaller opponents, such as the ''[[Ice Ferret]]'' maneuvering to attack her while her heavier opponent, Mallory, awaited the outcome of that battle before moving to challenge.*SEE NOTES*<ref>''The Wars of Reaving'', p. 180</ref><ref name=S6p34>''Shrapnel'', Issue #6, p. 35: "Technical Readout: Victor C"</ref> Evidence suggests she piloted a ''[[Griffin]]'' called ''Stiletto'', however after the death of her benefactor Khan Ward she was transferred to a ''[[solahma]]'' unit guarding the genetic repository on Weingarten but remained close to Loremaster [[Katya Kerensky]].{{cn}}

In [[3083]], when Katya stepped down from the post of Loremaster, Katherine's supporter [[Ronald Ch'in]] won the trials for the position. The two other top candidates, both hostile to Katherine, suffered suspicious problems leading up to the final trial. [[Mike Vickers]] was issued an overwhelming number of challenges over minor disputes, exhausting him before the key trial, while his challengers received promotions. [[Nathin Tutuola]] died in an apparent gun cleaning accident, with some evidence left suggesting murder. Neither could firmly be linked to Katherine, but suspicion remained.<ref name=S3AP:KSD>''Shrapnel'', Issue #3: ''Assassination Protocol: Katherine Steiner-Davion''</ref>

In late [[3109]], Katherine provided intelligence that served as the foundation for a December raid on [[Pandora]]. Not long after the raid, in [[3110]], [[Nikolai Ward]] challenged her to a Trial of Grievance, accusing her of having fabricated the intelligence to use Clan Wolf to soften the planet's defenses for a January Lyran invasion. The day after Nikolai challenged her, he was found dead, poisoned.<ref name=S3AP:KSD/>

In [[3115]], [[Martin Kerensky]] was found dead in an alley in [[Tamar]]. One investigator later told a ''[[Gladiator Gazette]]'' columnist that after fragments of a piece of paper with Katherine's name on it were found under the body, the investigation was promptly shut down by the warrior caste.<ref name=S3AP:KSD/>

Later, the 102-year-old Katherine went to [[Terra]] for [[Paladin (rank)|Paladin]] Victor's state funeral along with her son, though she kept a very low profile there.<ref>''The Scorpion Jar''</ref>

===Death===
On 24 August 3143, [[Alaric Ward|Alaric]] claimed the [[Ward (Bloodname)|Ward Bloodname]] and shortly afterward was elected Khan of the [[Wolf Empire]], both events being broadcast across his new realm. During a subsequent speech he proclaimed his heritage as a scion of House Steiner via Katrina Steiner, and on this basis officially laid claim to the office of Archon of the Lyran Commonwealth. A few days later, Alaric consulted with his mother about how to handle [[Anastasia Kerensky]], a potential rival. When Katherine urged him to kill Anastasia, Alaric slew her instead, tearfully informing his mother that she had to die as she was the true rival to him. He then cut Anastasia's [[bondcord]].<ref name=ABOWchap15>''A Bonfire of Worlds'', ch. 15</ref>

=== Marriage and children ===
Katherine never married, but [[Alaric Wolf]] is her biological son. Alaric is actually a [[trueborn]] warrior in Clan Wolf, bred from Katherine and her brother Victor's genes. She somehow acquired DNA from Victor so that she could carefully raise Alaric to become her revenge against the Inner Sphere.<ref>''Masters of War''</ref>

== Philosophical and political views ==
Katherine used whatever means necessary to attain power. Rather than rely on military acumen as most of her family did, Katherine chose to build an image as a peacemaker in direct contrast to her soldier brothers, an image that she shed once she joined [[Clan Wolf]]. She wielded [[Dancing Joker|assassination]] as a political tool and was responsible for the deaths of [[Melissa Steiner (31st c.)|Melissa Steiner]], [[Omiko Kurita|Omi Kurita]], and Morgan Kell's wife [[Salome Ward]], and also ordered an attempt on [[George Hasek II|George Hasek]]. She continually sought more and greater power and craved power for the sake of having it.  Her internal monologues in the novels seem to indicate that she genuinely believed herself to be the most suited of her family to rule, although it seems likely much of this belief was rationalization.  Katherine appears to have little actual care for anyone other than herself; even the men she professed love for, she was willing to discard or sacrifice in her drive for power.  She also demonstrated distinct signs of pettiness and cruelty, regularly using her nation's resources to persecute anyone she deemed an enemy.  This started with political opponents, but eventually came to include those staying neutral in the conflict between she and Victor, and even those she deemed "insufficiently loyal" (i.e. who supported her but harbored reservations regarding her policies).  As she progressed on her pursuit of personal power, she began to show greater and greater signs of megalomania, and she found it difficult to maintain her image as a peacemaker.

== BattleMechs ==
In her [[Trial of Position]] to become a MechWarrior Clan Wolf in 3073, Katherine piloted a ''[[Warhawk (Masakari)|Warhawk C]]''.<ref name=BTLp105>''BattleTech: Legends'', p. 105: "The Civil War Era - Katherine Steiner-Davion"</ref>

As of 3110, Katherine piloted a ''[[Griffin]]'' nicknamed ''Stiletto''.<ref name=S3AP:KSD/>

== Quotes ==
{{Quote|I don't want him neutral, I want him dead. I want you to destroy my [[Victor Steiner-Davion|brother]] and everyone that follows him. Then I want you to round up everyone that supports him and make an example of them, too!|Archon Katherine Steiner-Davion, giving orders to [[Field Marshal]] [[Simon Gallagher]] and intelligence advisor Richard Dehaver, 7 September [[3063]]<ref>''FedCom Civil War'', p. 73: "Wave Two"</ref>}}

==Titles and Positions==
{{s-start}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Victor Steiner-Davion]]}}
{{s-title|title=[[Archon]] of the [[Lyran Alliance]]|years=[[3057]] – [[3067]]}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Peter Steiner-Davion]]}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Yvonne Steiner-Davion]]}}
{{s-title|title=Regent of the [[Federated Commonwealth]]|years=[[3060]] – [[3067]]}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Yvonne Steiner-Davion]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Archon Timeline
|began=3057
|ended=3067
|inherited=Victor Steiner-Davion
|realm=Lyran Alliance
}}

{{First Prince Timeline
|began=3060
|ended=3067
|inherited=Yvonne Steiner-Davion
|title=Archon
}}

== Portrait Gallery ==
<gallery>
Katherine Steiner-Davion.jpg|At age 29
KSD.jpg|Katherine Steiner-Davion
Katherine Steiner-Davion CCG.jpg|[[CCG]] depiction
</gallery>

==Notes==
In ''[[The Wars of Reaving]]'', it is stated that [[Katherine Steiner-Davion]] destroyed an ''[[Ice Ferret]]'' during her [[Trial of Position]] for Clan Wolf.  However, ''[[Technical Readout: Victor C]]'' in [[Shrapnel (magazine)|''Shrapnel'', Issue 6]] states that she destroyed the [[Victor|''Victor C'']] that Mallory was piloting.  As ''Shrapnel'' was printed after ''The Wars of Reaving'', its reference takes precedence.

== References ==
<references/>

== Bibliography ==
<div class="desktop-3-col">
* ''[[20 Year Update]]''
* ''[[A Bonfire of Worlds]]'' (novel)
* ''[[Bred for War]]'' (novel)
* ''[[Endgame]]'' (novel)
* ''[[Era Report: 3145]]''
* ''[[The Fall of Terra]]''
* ''[[FedCom Civil War (sourcebook)|FedCom Civil War]]'' (sourcebook)
* ''[[Field Manual: Federated Suns]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: Lyran Alliance]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: Update]]''
* ''[[Grave Covenant]]'' (novel)
* ''[[Jihad: Final Reckoning]]''
* ''[[Jihad Turning Points: New Avalon]]''
* ''[[The Longest Road]]'' (novella)
* ''[[Malicious Intent]]'' (novel)
* ''[[Masters of War]]'' (novel)
* ''[[Patriots and Tyrants]]'' (novel)
* ''[[The Scorpion Jar]]'' (novel)
* [[Shrapnel (magazine)#Issue 3|''Shrapnel'', Issue 3]]
* [[Shrapnel (magazine)#Issue 6|''Shrapnel'', Issue 6]]
* ''[[The Wars of Reaving]]''
</div>


[[Category:Lyran Commonwealth Characters|Steiner-Davion, Katherine]]
[[Category:Federated Suns Characters|Steiner-Davion, Katherine]]
[[Category:Clan Wolf Characters|Steiner-Davion, Katherine]]
[[Category:Archons|Steiner-Davion, Katherine]]
[[Category:Federated Suns Rulers|Steiner-Davion, Katherine]]